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If you have a dog or are thinking about getting one, you might want to read this article: it gives you a step-by-step guide on how to care for your furry friend.

Steps

Part 1

Preparing For a New Dog

1

Be prepared for the responsibility of a dog. Think of them as your furry baby. You'll need to spend a lot of time with them, care for them, and buy them the things they need. Before you decide on a dog, do a bit of research to find the kind of dog that will be best for you. Some breeds are easier to care for than others, and some dogs will need special care for disabilities or illnesses. If you have the time and money for it, always try to get a dog like this. They are difficult to find homes for and are usually put down by shelters.

2

Make sure you have everything your dog will need, such as a dog bed, dog bowls for food and water, good quality dog food, and a leash and collar before adopting or purchasing your dog.

Part 2

Caring For Your Dog

1

Spend time with them. Dogs are very social animals, so you need to pay lots of attention to them to make them feel happy and loved. Pet them and play with them every day. Getting another dog is usually a good idea to prevent them from getting lonely, if you have the space and money for it and you have enough room

2

Provide somewhere suitable to sleep. When your dog is a puppy, they will need to go to bed early. Make sure you have a comfy bed for them to sleep in and that they go to bed as often as they need to. On average, dogs need about 12-14 hours of sleep, but may need more or less depending on their breed, size and age.

3

Be sure to feed your dog at least three times a day. Provide fresh water at all times.

4

Feed your dog the right kind of food to have a healthy diet. If your dog isn't eating, you might want to try changing the brand of food that you're giving them; however, they may be sick, and will need to see a vet if they still won't eat.

5

Make sure you have time to walk your dog at least once a day so that they can get exercise. If dogs aren't walked enough, they may develop heart problems, become overweight, or develop destructive tendencies. Remember not to overwork your dog: they need to build stamina the same way humans do, so you want to take it easy on them at first, especially if they're already overweight.

6

Groom and wash your dog. Make sure you buy a quality brush that fits the needs of your dog's coat. You should also be sure to wash your dog when ever they get too dirty, but not too often, as your dog's skin may become too irritated; bathing your dog every week or every other week is too often. If they don't like bathing, be sure to reward them afterwards. If you're having trouble grooming your dog by yourself, or they have a difficult coat to look after, take them to a groomer every six to eight weeks, depending on how fast their hair and nails grow.

7

Train carefully and consistently. When training your dog, make sure it's in a big place such as a park or a big backyard.

Always reward your dog, with a treat or a pet, when it has done something well during training. This will reinforce that they are doing a good thing, and will make them listen to your commands more often

8

Provide substitute care when you're gone. If you are away on vacation, make sure to leave your dog with a pet-sitter or at a kennel so that they are taken care of, even without you there.

Do dogs like to be left alone some days, or will they get bored or depressed?

wikiHow Contributor

Community Answer

It depends what breed you have. Some dogs do not like to be left alone al all and may become restless or upset -- if you have a dog like that, try to get a dog sitter or dog walker or use doggie day care.

The dog may bark as he hears them walk up to your house. The dog may recognize a physical feature on a person or remember the scent that that person has. Like a fingerprint, everyone has a different scent according to a dog.

There are a lot of different options for looking after your dog. If you don't have the time and effort to look after your dog, e.g. at work, you can easily book into a doggie daycare, a dog walker or even a dog sitter. Some companies are more expensive than others, but you can easily find a worthy dog business that knows what they're doing for a decent price.

You have to asses the type of dog you want based on your lifestyle. Do you go out a lot to parks or the beach? Are you always with your friends, or mostly at home? The type of dog you need isn't always what breed, but what personality. Imagine having a hyper dog who loves to play ball and interrupts your movie time because he wants to play with you; or imagine having a calm dog that lies in the grass while you visit your family/friends at the park. All dogs have different personality types; some breeds are known for activeness, and some are known for cuddling habits. Meeting the dog first helps you asses the role it may play in your life.

Tips

Love them.

Your dog will love and respect you if you play and feed him/her.

Be prepared. If you get a puppy, it is likely to whine and cry a lot.

You will need some newspaper or a puppy pad to house train your dog. A good strategy for this is to keep moving the newspaper closer and closer to the door and so that eventually your dog will learn to pee outdoors.

It's a good idea to keep your dog's bed close to the door, or at least downstairs so that if they need to go outside quickly to pee, they will be able to. You should also invest in a dog door.

Do not leave a new puppy alone for more than an hour. If you can, check on them periodically if you're nearby.

Train your dog to use a chew toy so that they won't chew your furniture. Buy toys that they won't eat or destroy too quickly.

Sometimes your dog will bond with a cat, but not always. Make sure to introduce them slowly, and make sure they like each other before leaving them in the same room together. If they don't trust or like each other, they might hurt each other.

Don't worry if your dog does not immediately trust you; it will take a while for him/her to warm to you. Don't force him/her to immediately be your best friend - this plan normally backfires and creates problems in your relationship.

Warnings

Do not neglect or harm your dog in any way. It's illegal, and just a bad thing to do.

To look after your dog, start by getting supplies, like a dog bed, a leash and collar, food and water bowls, food, and treats. Feed your dog some healthy dog food twice per day, and keep fresh water in your pup's water bowl at all times. In addition to food and water, your dog needs to be walked at least once per day to make sure it gets some exercise. During the walk, clean up after it when it goes to the bathroom, and later, bathe it if it gets dirty.

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wikiHow is a wiki similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are written collaboratively. To create this article, 52 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has also been viewed 99,497 times.